Cutter
by Moonrunner
Summary: Yami no Yuugi is a former Pharaoh. Yami no Bakura is a thief, with his eyes set one the Sennen Items. They share one thing. For when one is dead, how do you convince yourself that you're alive?


Cutter

Quick note: A cutter is someone who practices self-mutilation with a knife. If this is not your thing, then please leave.

Look, I have successfully dyed Yami no Bakura's hair bright pink. Do you _want_ me to own Yu-Gi-Oh?

(Crickets chirp)

Didn't think so.

.................................

The thief stood in the shadows near the Kame Game Shop, waiting for the lights to go out, to tell him that it was time for him to act. He knew the price he would pay if he failed, but the profits he could gain well made up the cost. The thief was Yami no Bakura, and tonight he was going to try something he had never done before: directly steal from the Pharaoh. Not that he hadn't tried, but it usually required some complex plot that ended up with him dieing _at least_ once. Never had he tried simple thieving.

The last light went dark, signaling a welcome to the thief. Soundlessly, he walked out of the darkness and approached the front door, finding it locked. Shrugging, he pulled out his lock pick set and within a few moments the door was open.

"Hmph. Too easy." The thief smirked. As he passed the store counter, he turned his head as something caught his eye.

"What's this... A new card? Hmm. Nightmare Horse(1). I could use this." He pulled out a knife, opened the card case, and slipped both the card and the knife into his pocket. After swiping a few more interesting-looking cards, Yami no Bakura walked up the stairs and into the house.

He looked in Yuugi's room first, figuring that his target, the Sennen Puzzle, would be there. Discovering that it wasn't there, the thief walked, slightly confused, to Yuugi's sleeping form. It would so easy to end it all now, to just kill the boy and get it over with. The Tomb Robber pondered it for moment, before deciding not to. It would attract too much attention, after all. He smirked. As if stealing the Sennen Puzzle wouldn't attract attention. He then scowled. He would have to find it first.

On Yuugi's nightstand was his dairy, looking as if he had finished writing shortly before falling asleep. Yami no Bakura picked it up, his curiosity roused. For today, it read:

'_Dear Diary:_

_It was an interesting day today. First, Jou slipped a spider into Anzu's lunch. He would've gotten away with it too, if he hadn't started laughing. Anzu...Was not happy. She threw her lunch at Jou. I considered feeling sorry for him, but the look on Anzu's face said that probably wasn't a good idea. I offered to get Anzu a new lunch. She said,_

"_At least someone knows how to be a gentleman." And kissed me on the cheek! Yay! _

_Then we had a surprise history test after lunch. Well, it wasn't really a surprise. We had been told about it, just everyone forgot. Even the Sensei had forgotten. It didn't stay forgotten, however. Darn. Don't tell anyone, but Yami me helped some. Hey, it was on Egypt._

_Yami... I'm worried about him. He's just so quiet. He's never like this. I mean, he's usually quiet, but not this quiet. He's been like this since about the time we figured out how to separate (Which happens to be annoyingly simple, as it turns out.). Not only has he been quiet like that, but his eyes are... Different. Empty. Desperate. Wait a minute; he just looked over my shoulder. I'm going to ask. I have to._

.........

_Well, I asked him if something was wrong. He said it was personal and that it's nothing to worry about. But I saw it in his eyes. There is something is wrong, and I should be worried. Very worried._

_Goodnight, Diary.'_

There it ended. The thief considered what it had said for a moment. The first thing he noticed was the Pharaoh and his Hikari could separate. That would explain why the Sennen Puzzle wasn't there. And he had to agree that, yes; it was annoyingly simple. All you really had to do was focus your energy like you did when you appeared to your Host as a spirit. You just used more energy, and it was temporary. But that wasn't all he saw. If something was wrong with the Pharaoh emotionally, which was the implication, it might be easier to steal the Puzzle, or it might be harder. Emotionally unstable people are very annoying to steal from. Yami no Bakura shrugged.

Beggars can't be choosers.

He quietly walked out of Yuugi's room and into the hall... and stopped.

"That light was not on a minute ago." He whispered.

Yami no Bakura walked softly to the bathroom door, softly resting his hands on the door and reaching out with his magic, just enough to sense if it _was_ the Pharaoh in there. He could have been detected, but somehow he knew that wouldn't be a problem.

He quietly pushed open the door. Inside was Yami no Yuugi, with his back to the door. Both hands were at his side and in one was a bloody knife. He raised the knife to his bare chest, shivered violently, and drew it back.

Blood splattered on the walls.

Yami no Bakura raised his eyebrows. The Pharaoh was a Cutter? This was unexpected, to say the least. The Thief leaned against the doorframe and waited. He would be noticed soon enough. The room was small, blue walls spotted with crimson red. The same red stained the tile floor, and...the Sennen Puzzle Blood marred its gold surface, running down like tears flowing from the eye on its front. Before he had time to ponder this too much, however, Yami no Yuugi turned.

"Tomb Robber! What are you doing here?"

Yami no Bakura's eyes fell to the Pharaoh's chest, specifically the slash that reached from his shoulder to the middle of his chest. Yami no Yuugi followed his gaze, and turned his head.

"Why do you do it?" The thief's sudden question surprised the Pharaoh. He had expected the other to take advantage of his state (He wasn't exactly in the best condition to fight.), try to kill him, just not ask why.

"The pain reminds me I am alive. If you stop feeling pain, then you are dead."

"You are dead. Both of us are."

Yami no Yuugi glared at the other defiantly.

"I can still feel pain, can I not?"

A pause.

"...Does Yuugi or any of his friends know?"

"Why do you think I'm here at this at this Ra-damned hour? Yuugi would be horrified." He paused, and then hung his head. "If he even noticed."

"He's your Hikari. He's noticed." The Tomb Robber refused to change his tone of voice or show any emotion. No matter that this was beginning to sound far too familiar.

The Pharaoh chuckled slightly. "He is naïve. He can see good in enemies, but he is blind when it comes to those close to him. As for his friends?" He chuckled again. "They see me as a part of Yuugi. Why would they notice?" Something hit the Pharaoh then and he jerked up his head. "Wait... Why are you here, Tomb Robber?" The Tomb Robber was silent for a moment. "Well?"

"I came here to steal. Now, I think I'll just leave."

Yami no Yuugi stared into matching red eyes. In that moment the former Pharaoh somehow knew that Yami no Bakura understood the pain, that he knew what it feels like to cry through the night, screaming for a release you could only find in the knife.

He understood far too well.

The Thief then turned to leave.

"Wait!"

"Good night... Atemu."

With that, we turned and left the Kame Game Shop and a very shocked Pharaoh. As soon as it was out of sight, he ducked into an alley. The sky began to pour down rain, but he didn't care. He tilted his head up, and softly started to speak.

"Well, that's certainly an interesting way of putting it. But I must wonder Pharaoh, how long? How long before you stop using the pain as a way to convince yourself that your still alive, that you're not dead and rotting in some tomb or museum, and start longing for the pain just for its own sake? Just to see blood rolling down your skin? How long, Pharaoh, before you become like me?"

Without another sound, he pulled out his knife and rolled up one of his sleeves.

He leaned against the wall, and put the knife to his arm.

Blood splattered on the walls, quickly to be washed away by rain.

...

Yami no Yuugi half-heartedly cleaned up the bathroom, finding himself unable to care if he missed any blood. This was not unusual for him. He cleaned the bathroom every night. Most of the time he spent the time in silence, his mouth too choked by tears to say anything, not that he wanted to. Not tonight, however.

"What if Yuugi has noticed? No, he would say something. Wouldn't he? But the Tomb Robber... Why did he just leave like that? He would usually at least try for the Puzzle. " He thought for a moment, and then his eyes widened in realization. "He understands.... Oh Horus, he understands!" Tears began to flow anew down his face as he fell to his knees. For what seemed like hours, he just...wept. And prayed. Prayed to the ancient Gods, begging for Them to listen, to give some relief to Their servant. After, he stood, bandaged his self-inflicted wounds, and quietly walked into Yuugi's room. He had to do this.

He had to.

He walked Yuugi's sleeping form, and lightly shook him.

"Yuugi, wake up."

It didn't take much to wake him. He groggily looked at his Yami. The bandage around Yami no Yuugi's chest quickly grabbed his attention, however.

"Yami, what happened? Were you hurt? Did-"

Yami no Yuugi quieted him before he began to speak.

"Y-Yuugi," He could barely choke out the word. "We need to talk."

Outside, rain continued to fall.

.........

(1) Nightmare Horse is a real card. Atk/500 Def/400. It can attack your opponent's Life Points directly, even if there's a monster in the way. I thought it fit Yami no Bakura. Appearance wise, anyway.


End file.
